Fred's Last Laugh
by PenPatronus
Summary: Fred Weasley's perspective during The Battle of Hogwarts in book 7, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Genres: Adventure, humor, angst, and tragedy. Also featuring George, Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Lee, Percy, Cho, Aberforth... DISCONTINUED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE


**Summary: **Fred Weasley's perspective during The Battle of Hogwarts in book 7, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Genres: Adventure, humor, angst, and tragedy. Also featuring George, Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Lee, Percy, Cho, Aberforth, Arthur, Molly, Luna, etc.

**Author's Notes:** The _italics _are Fred's thoughts.

**Fred's Last Laugh**

PenPatronus

_Death is but crossing the world, as friends to the seas;_

_they live in one another still. _

Chapter One:

**Annoying Aberforth**

A crack like a lightning bolt announced the arrival of three Weasleys into the Hog's Head Inn.

"Ginny?" whispered George, his voice low with concern. "Are you all right?"

Fred squeezed his sister's hand. "Want me to count your toes?"

"I think all of me is here," Ginny muttered through clenched teeth and clenched eyes. She pried one of her lids open, but didn't dare release her hold on Fred.

"See? You're fine," George said. "Side-Along isn't _that _bad, is it?"

"With you two anything could be 'that bad,'" Ginny snapped. After a few deep breaths she un-glued herself from her brother and unsheathed her wand. "Fred, get those lights. We're casting shadows."

Fred gave her an exaggerated salute he usually reserved for Percy. "Yes, ma'am! Say, George, think the old codger has a bit of Firewhiskey around here?"

"Fred! This is no time for a drink!" Ginny abmonished. "We have to help Harry! George, what's that...please tell me you didn't bring a _flask_!"

George's response was interrupted by the appearance of Lee Jordan, who Apparated directly onto the lobby counter. Lee swung his wand left, and right, and then left again. "Where are the bad guys?"

Before greetings could be exchanged and shots of Firewhiskey could be swallowed, a shuffling of feet and a mumbling of voices came from above them. Lee and the Weasleys eavesdropped on wishes of "good luck," and then heard the sound of a door closing.

"Guess someone else got the message too," Ginny noted. "Let's go." Ginny led the way, jogging up a staircase that creaked so loudly that Fred half-expected the Death Eaters to immediately swoop in on them. When he entered the room at the top, he found a wand pointed at his sister's chest.

_Oh no you don't! _

Fred immediately stepped between the wand and Ginny, and George was right behind him. The Twins raised their own weapons.

"You're a bit young to be Death Eaters."

The man's growling voice, and mood, reminded Fred of Mad-Eye Moody. "You're a bit _outnumbered_!" Fred hissed. He slowly raised his forearm, and showed the old man the unblemished skin there. "We're _not _Death Eaters."

"Fred-" Ginny stepped between the Twins and presented the fake Galleon that Hermione had given her: proof that they were in Dumbledore's Army.

_Well, Longbottom's Army, as of late_, Fred thought. _Ha. The Long Bottom of the Army. The Army's Long Bottom. HA. Gotta tell George..._

The man Fred knew to be Albus Dumbledore's brother immediately lowered his wand as if the Galleon had burned him. "Ah. Why didn't you say so? And red hair...Weasleys, right? Luna reckoned you'd be right behind them. Aberforth stepped aside and gestured to the fireplace he'd been guarding. "He went that way."

"Harry?" asked George.

"Potter," Aberforth confirmed. He did a triple-double-take when he realized that the two men on either side of Ginny were twins. And then, just like every pair of eyes goes to Harry's scar, Aberforth's stared at the space where George's ear used to be.

_What are you looking at, old man? _A protective rage bubbled in Fred's gut. _If you weren't Dumbledore's brother I'd transfigure your shoes into anvils..._

Aberforth's gaze finally drifted past George and landed on Lee. "And who might you be?"

Lee folded his arms to his chest and cocked an eyebrow. "Their twin brother."

"Different father," George explained with a shrug.

"Need to have a chat with Longbottom," Aberforth muttered. "Like I told Thomas, my inn isn't the entrance to Hogwarts! This isn't bloody Platform 9¾!"

An important question occurred to Fred. "Don't suppose Harry was with a red-headed kid about this tall?" Fred raised the palm of his hand a few inches above his own eyes.

"And a brown-haired bird this short?" asked George.

At Aberforth's first nod another crack and more creaks came from behind them. Every wizard raised their wands at the staircase.

But they lowered their weapons (and Ginny _rasied _hers) when a breathless Cho Chang stumbled into the room.

"Now, see here—" Aberforth began, shaking a forefinger the newest arrival.

"Hey you guys!" Cho gasped. With a flick of her neck she swung her long black hair behind her shoulders and flashed a smile around the room. Her grin shone as brightly as the fake Galleon she held in her palm.

"It's getting late, and I've entertained enough guests for an inn that's been shut down for six months," Aberforth was muttering.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny demanded with the politeness of a cactus.

"… signed up for this, you know. I never wanted to be involved. Just minding my own business and _both_ sides start asking things of me…"

"Neville, of course! I've been carrying this coin around in my pocket since I left Hogwarts! He promised to let me know when Harry _needs me_." Cho smirked at Ginny.

While Ginny turned red and simmered, Lee and Cho began talking animatedly, comparing adventures: Lee's organization of Potterwatch and Cho's excursions with her mother to hide Muggle-borns.

"Oh we listened every time! Never missed an episode! It really kept our spirits up. Do you really think it's true that was him on the dragon that escaped from Gringotts? And leading that army of merpeople around Azkaban?"

"I'm not as young as you, you know!" Aberforth was getting cranky. He shook his wand like a baby's rattle. "I need sleep! I have a bar to keep, Death Eaters to poison…"

George tapped Lee on the shoulder to draw his attention to the tunnel Ginny had opened behind a painting (she discovered it when she punched it), but Lee continued to gossip. "A hundred? You guys smuggled a _hundred_ Muggle-borns through that Underground Portkey in Sherwood? Brilliant!"

"_OI_!" Fred hissed over the din. Everyone pivoted towards him, and he spread out his arms towards Ginny as if bowing to her. "If you'll follow our guide, please, we can begin our tour. First stop is a dark creepy tunnel beneath the dementors' skirts, followed by a family reunion in the Snape pit, undoubtedly capped by a speech from our glorious hero Harry Potter that will surely bring a tear to every eye." Fred wiped an imaginary one away.

Everyone stared at him, and finally he just shrugged. _Ah, well._ "Come _on_, you gits, let's go help Harry."

Cho tried to go down the tunnel first, but Ginny "accidentally" tripped her.

Aberforth's disgruntled voice followed them like a shadow. "Tell Longbottom I'll have his _bottom _if anyone else shows up!"

They traveled for several minutes in suspenseful silence. And then, just as the tunnel began to slope upwards, familiar voices came from a small light. Ginny broke into a grin and a sprint, and Fred hurried behind her. Both tension and relief, anxiousness, courage and a fierce motivation filled Fred's chest. It was time, he just knew it. Tonight was the night. The night to fight.

Harry Potter, the hero of legend from Fred's childhood, was _back_!

**To Be Continued**


End file.
